Genetic variation for the ratio of inorganic to total phosphorus in white clover leaves

Abstract

The inorganic phosphorus (P.) and total P (P_T) concentrations of leaf tissue were measured for 9 genotypes from each of 4 white clover lines—Grasslands Sustain, Grasslands Prestige, a low‐P site ecotype, and a high‐P site ecotype— grown at 50 and 400 ug added P g^‐1 soil, in a glasshouse. The cultivars/ ecotypes varied significantly for P_i/P_T ratio at the high level of P supply, but not at the lower level. The two ecotypes were not significantly different from each other for P_i/P_T ratio at either P supply level. Among the 36 genotypes, P/ P_T ratio varied 2‐fold at the high P level and 2.5‐fold at the low P level. Broad sense heritabilities for P_i/P_T ratio were, however, low, particularly at the high level of P supply.